Le ciel au-dessus des rivières et des lacs est dégagé

Chapitre 57

Xiao Man looked around and laughed, "What are you afraid of? Just keep an eye on things."

Bronze incense burners were placed in the four corners of the hall, filled with some kind of incense, the aroma of which was quite pleasant. Wisps of smoke rose, and after a while, a soft hum arose from the crowd. Xiao Man, being short, couldn't see them. Lian Yi then lifted her up by the waist, and from behind emerged the four guardians of metal, wood, water, and fire, along with the seven envoys of the Big Dipper and Lao Sha's mid-level henchmen. Tian Quan, Tian Ji, and Yao Guang were among them. Their faces remained expressionless.

The four elements—metal, wood, water, and fire—sat in the head seat, with a chair placed beside them. This chair should have been for the old woman, but since she was dead, a black cloth was laid over it. Seeing their mournful expressions, Xiao Man couldn't help but chuckle inwardly; these old fogies, they'd been tricked without even realizing it.

After a while, Mr. Mu stood up and said, "This time, Mount Bugui is issuing invitations to heroes because of a major event in the martial arts world... As you all know, three years ago, the Cangya City was inexplicably wiped out, with only one young mistress remaining. After extensive investigation, we finally found her. From her, we learned that the massacre was the work of the infamous Tiansha Shifang..."

Another uproar erupted from the crowd. Mr. Mu continued, "This matter greatly shocked and angered us. Boss Tu is an impatient man, and he immediately sent people to track down one of the members of Tiansha Shifang, and even personally chased her to Dezhou. However... as you can see, she did not return and died tragically at the hands of Tiansha Shifang's henchmen."

Lianyi whispered in Xiaoman's ear, "He's lying."

Xiao Man remained silent. These people of the underworld were cunning and shrewd; getting them to not lie was harder than the sky falling. She suddenly thought of herself. Well, she wasn't much better off; lies were probably the only sustenance for people like them.

After Mr. Mu finished speaking, it was General Shui's turn, and then Doctor Huo's. In short, they all denounced Tian Sha Shi Fang for his heinous crimes and deserved to be punished by heaven and earth. Finally, the smiling Master Jin stood up and said slowly, "Today, with Mount Bu Gui here, if any of our words are false, we will be despised by the entire martial arts world and die without a burial place! However, we also understand that for you all, seeing is believing, so why don't we let our young master come out and personally tell you what happened that day?"

The real mistress has arrived! Xiao Man was very curious about what she would look like, after all, she had been a "mistress" for a while. There was an altar in the main hall, and she knew with her toes that it was for the mistress to hold some kind of sacrifice to recreate the scene of the annihilation of her clan.

Could they have poisoned everyone in the hall with datura? Xiaoman instinctively felt it was unlikely, so their only option was to control their young master. Xiaoman lowered her head and said, "Lianyi, move to the side, don't stand near Hong Gu Zi and the others."

Lianyi indeed carried her a couple of steps. The area was packed with people, and every time they moved, many complained. They all craned their necks, eager to see what the legendary young mistress of Cangya City looked like. Hong Gu Zi and the others couldn't very well follow, so they could only keep giving her meaningful glances.

Xiaoman had Lianyi put her down, squatted on the ground, took out a water bag, soaked a towel in it, and vigorously wiped her face. Finally, she looked up and asked, "Lianyi, are you back to normal?"

Lianyi smiled slightly: "Your face has recovered, but you still have white hair on your head. How strange! What are you going to do, Master?"

Xiao Man slowly wiped her face and smiled, "Hmm, let's do something fun."

She peered through the gaps in the crowd and heard the tinkling of jade pendants. A group of female disciples in white robes escorted a richly dressed girl as she emerged. When she first arrived at the Mountain of No Return, they had dressed her in the same elaborate manner. This time, as the true mistress, she naturally needed to be even more splendid. With so many gold hairpins adorning her hair, Xiao Man was truly afraid that her hair would fall out.

Another commotion arose from the crowd. Xiaoman understood why they were surprised, for this young lady's hair wasn't black, but a light red. She had a high nose bridge and deep-set eyes, looking nothing like a person from the Central Plains. She wasn't exceptionally beautiful, not the stunning beauty Xiaoman had imagined, but with every bow of her head and every gesture, she exuded the air of a well-bred lady.

Xiao Man was no stranger to this kind of temperament. Her mother had it too, but the brilliance of that gemstone had been dulled by the hardships of life that followed.

Xiao Man looked her up and down without any politeness, as if she wanted to see through her skin and flesh to her very bones.

Hmm? Something seems off. Her expression is off, too calm. More like she's in a daze. Is she... holding something in her mouth?

Lianyi said softly, "Master, she's not as pretty as you!"

Xiao Man smiled, stood up, and patted her shoulder: "Lianyi, are you brave?"

She was stunned: "Huh?"

The young master had already ascended the altar and knelt down upon it.

Xiao Man whispered, "Hold me. Jump onto that platform!"

Lianyi hesitated for a moment: "But they haven't given any instructions yet..."

“Listen to me!” she said firmly.

Lianyi scooped her up in her arms and leaped, landing on the altar amidst gasps of surprise. The four members of the Metal, Wood, Water, and Fire element acted almost immediately, reaching out to grab Lianyi's shoulders. Xiaoman ripped off her wig, her long black hair cascading down her back like a waterfall. She tossed her hand and laughed loudly, "Hey! Everyone, do you remember me?"

Hong Gu Zi and the others were already stunned and at a loss for what to do; none of them expected her to be so bold. She jumped right up!

Mr. Mu and the others were taken aback when they saw her, but Master Jin grabbed her and shouted sternly, "Who goes there! How dare you disturb the young mistress!"

Lianyi wasn't as skilled as him, and she also had to protect Xiaoman. Suddenly, he grabbed her shoulder, and with a tearing sound, ripped her sleeve.

Xiao Man said loudly, "What's your rush?! Can't you let me say a few words? Or are you going to kill someone in front of everyone?"

A deafening clamor had already erupted from the crowd, and even Master Jin hesitated. The four men exchanged glances, unsure of what to do.

A middle-aged man sitting in the audience slowly stood up and chuckled, "Why don't we see what this young lady has to say? It won't hurt. Perhaps we'll hear something more interesting, won't we?"

Everyone saw that he had a neatly trimmed beard and looked like a pale-faced scholar. He seemed frail, but everyone knew that he was someone not to be offended. Master Jin immediately took two steps back and said with a faint smile, "Since it is Steward Yuan of Lianfang City who has spoken, then please speak, young lady."

Xiao Man chuckled and raised her head: "It's only been a few months since we last met, and you don't recognize me anymore? People get old, and their memories really do get worse."

Master Jin simply smiled slightly and did not speak.

Xiaoman didn't say much to them, but walked up to her mistress, who remained kneeling motionless. Xiaoman slowly bowed and said, "Greetings, Mistress... Why aren't you speaking? What's in your mouth?"

She reached out to touch her, but Master Jin shouted sternly, "What are you going to do to the young mistress?!"

Before he could finish speaking, Xiaoman raised her hand and gave the young mistress a crisp slap. She was knocked to the ground, and something rolled out of her mouth with a "pop"—it was a red pill.

Xiao Man laughed and said, "I didn't do anything to her. I just wanted to ask, what is she doing with this thing in her mouth?" She snatched the bead, held it up in front of everyone, and asked innocently, "Does anyone know what this is? I'm illiterate and have only ever heard of dead people putting things in their mouths. I didn't know a living person would put things in their mouth too!"

The crowd below the stage was already buzzing with discussion, each person puzzled and confused.

The four figures, representing metal, wood, water, and fire, wore uncertain expressions and remained silent. Steward Yuan of Lianfang City bowed slightly and said gently, "It looks like some kind of medicine. Could it be that the young master has contracted some illness?"

Xiao Man turned around and looked down at the young mistress. She was coughing, coughing desperately, and then she started to vomit, spewing out a puddle of pinkish water. Suddenly, she cried out, sat up quickly, looked around blankly, and whispered, "Where... am I?"

The crowd gasped again; she really was under the influence of drugs!

Xiao Man stepped forward, lifted her up, stared at her intently, and said, "I'm asking you, you are the young mistress of Cangya City, aren't you?"

The girl was still somewhat bewildered. She nodded and said softly, "This young lady... you..."

Xiao Man released her and laughed, "Alright, then let me ask you again, was it Tian Sha Shi Fang who destroyed your Cangya City?"

This was a crucial question, and Hong Gu Zi and the others were all on tenterhooks. The young master hesitated for a long time, then finally lowered her head and slowly shook it: "No...no. The annihilation of the Cangya City clan had nothing to do with anyone..."

Xiao Man shouted angrily, "Then how did you get to Mount No Return?! What are they forcing you to do?!"

Before the young mistress could answer, the four elements of metal, wood, water, and fire acted simultaneously. One tried to snatch the young mistress away, while the other three raised their palms to strike Xiaoman on the head, shouting sternly, "You are spreading heresy!"

Xiao Man watched the descending hand silently, without moving. Suddenly, a "whoosh" sounded, as if several hidden weapons had been shot towards her. The four members of the Metal, Wood, Water, and Fire factions were immediately forced to take a step back. The crowd below the stage stood up simultaneously, many shouting, "Are they trying to kill her to silence her?! Nobody move! Wait until she finishes!"

The Killing of Crows, Chapter Twelve: She, She, She (Part Three)

Updated: 2008-10-15 0:14:47 Word Count: 3455

Sunday, another three-hour broadcast.

First update.

Xiaoman took a deep breath. Despite the loud noise around her, she could only hear her own heartbeat.

She took a desperate gamble, never imagining she would have such audacity.

The young lady looked around in a panic. She obviously couldn't figure out what had happened. Only Xiaoman had spoken to her, so she instinctively moved closer to her.

Xiao Man turned around and smiled slightly at her, gently taking her hand and asking, "How did you get here?"

The young lady shook her head blankly: "I... I've been staying on an island overseas. Then one day, a group of people suddenly came and kidnapped me. Some of them told me that they wanted me to restore my family and avenge my family. I told them that there was nothing to avenge and I didn't agree. They used some method to knock me unconscious... I only woke up now..."

Xiao Man nodded: "Do you know about Mount No Return? This is Mount No Return."

The young lady frowned and thought for a moment: "I seem to recall my mother mentioning that I'm not old enough to know about things in the martial world..."

Xiao Man laughed and said, "You were kidnapped, your guards must have been looking for you everywhere."

The young lady shook her head again: "I don't know... I should probably look for one."

She doesn't know anything at all, looking completely bewildered and stupid. She's utterly useless.

Xiao Man patted her shoulder reassuringly, then turned to look at the audience and declared loudly, "Every word I say here today is absolutely true. If I utter a single lie, may all the heroes of the world bear witness! Kill me or torture me, I will die a horrible death!"

Seeing her young age, her pitiful appearance, and her slender, delicate figure, coupled with the fact that the No Return Mountain's attempt to control the young mistress had been exposed, everyone couldn't help but feel a sense of goodwill towards her. They all said, "Please speak, young lady!"

Xiao Man took a breath and said in a deep voice, "My name is Xiao Man, and I'm from Wutong Town. My mother died early, and my father and stepmother run a restaurant. One day, I took my younger brother to Master Qian Zilai's martial arts school to deliver a knot, but we encountered a man in black..."

Those who have been to Wutong Town exclaimed, "There really is a restaurant there! No wonder the girl looked so familiar! That old devil Qian Zilai really did open a martial arts school there!"

Xiao Man smiled and was about to continue speaking when suddenly a commotion arose outside the main hall. A group of disciples in white robes rushed in, shouting in alarm, "Mr. Mu! Master Jin! Someone has barged in without an invitation!"

Before the words were even finished, someone shouted, "Sias! Are you here?!"

The young master suddenly became excited, turned around and ran a few steps, calling out, "Rimto! Rimto! I'm here!"

The white-clad crowd at the entrance scattered with a whoosh. A man in black, covered in blood from head to toe and wielding two swords, rushed in. He leaped breathlessly onto the altar. The young mistress named Sias rushed forward and embraced him, tears streaming down her face. She cried out urgently, "You've come for me! You're alive! You're alive!"

Xiao Man stared intently at the man in black. That silhouette... it looked so familiar! Where had she seen him before?

The man named Limto hugged Siaes tightly, kissed her forehead a few times, then gently pushed her away, shielding her behind him. He raised his blood-stained twin swords, pointing them directly at the four members of the group, Jin, Mu, Shui, and Huo, and shouted fiercely, "You heartless bastards from No Return Mountain! You spread lies everywhere! You frame others! You even sent people to ambush me, almost killing me! Let me tell you, even if Cangya City dies, it will not be manipulated by you!"

The area below was already in complete chaos, with a never-ending commotion. Xiaoman stared at him for a long time, then suddenly exclaimed "Ah!" and pointed at his nose, shouting, "It was you! You're the one who slapped me!"

Sia timidly hid behind Rimto, remaining motionless. Rimto glanced at her, seemingly surprised: "You..."

Xiaoman took off the dragon horn from her neck and swayed it: "You don't remember?"

"The Horn of the Young Dragon!" Their eyes lit up, and they reached out to grab it. Xiao Man quickly withdrew it, turned around, and coldly said to the audience, "I'll continue. That day, I took my younger brother to deliver a tassel to Master Qian, but we ran into this person on the way. We argued, and he slapped me and threw this Horn of the Young Dragon at me. That very night, the Azure Fire Mark appeared on my chest!"

Rimto immediately remembered: "It's you! That little girl!"

Xiao Man ignored him and continued, "I admit it, I'm greedy. I originally planned to sell that little horn, but before I could, I ran into the people from No Return Mountain who came looking for the young master. Old Sha, it's you! Don't you admit it?" She pointed at Old Sha behind her, whose face was pale, clearly not expecting her to have such courage.

"Because of this little corner, they assumed I was the young master and spent three thousand taels of silver to buy me. They said that if I didn't come with them, there would be more trouble in the future. I didn't want to cause trouble for my family, so I had no choice but to go with them. They said I was the young master and that they would take care of me. They took me back to Mount No Return. Then I met the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, and they told me that it was the Ten Directions of Heavenly Fiend that destroyed Cangya City. I wanted to take revenge and restore my family."

At this point, she took a deep breath, desperately suppressing the bitterness and indignation in her heart, and said in a trembling voice, "I do have no background, I'm just an ordinary girl, but that doesn't mean I should be played with, used, and treated like an ant! Mount Bugui, you used me, this fake mistress, to try and form an alliance to dominate the martial arts world, but you were exposed by Elder Chang at Baiyang Manor. Fortunately, Tian Sha Shi Fang came to wipe them out that day, otherwise this secret would surely have been lost. Then, I realized I was being used. Cangya City, perhaps you are noble and mysterious, but you have no right to make me, or any stranger, bear those disasters for you!"

She pointed at Limtuo's nose and said coldly, "You slapped me and deliberately left Xiaojiao behind, just to make others mistake me for the young master, so that the real young master would have time to escape. You must be very proud of your clever scheme, but let me tell you, I despise you! You are a useless coward! You dare not take responsibility for your own problems, but you innocently shift the disaster onto others! You may be proud of toying with other people's fates, but I'm sorry to disappoint you. Even if I am really an ant, I will not let you drive me to my death! There will always be people more noble than you in this world. When the day comes that others look at you like ants, then you will taste that feeling for me!"

She threw the little horn to the ground and refused to look at the two of them again.

"I've said almost everything I wanted to say. Because I refused to cooperate, the Mountain of No Return came to kill me. Unfortunately, I'm lucky enough to survive and prevented them from doing so. That's why I can still stand here and speak today! I may not be able to leave here today, and I may die if I do, but I still want to say that I am very proud! I have no regrets about everything I did today!"

Xiao Man took out the map of the Five Corners from her bosom and threw it on the ground: "This is the map of the Five Corners and the treasure that both Tian Sha Shi Fang and Bu Gui Shan want. I'm returning it to the young master of Cangya City. Also, the Five Corners in the north of the town has already been taken by us, but it's not in my hands now. It's with one of my... companions, but he was innocently killed by Bu Gui Shan..."

As she finished speaking, she could no longer hold back her tears. She gritted her teeth and forced back her sobs. After a pause, she continued, "In this way, I no longer owe Cangya City anything. And these money and jewels..." She pulled out her purse, opened it, and dumped it on the ground with a clatter. The gleaming silver notes and a pile of pearls and gems jingled and rolled all over the ground. "I'm returning it all to you, Mount Bugui."

She seemed to have accomplished something important. She folded the empty purse, put it back in her bosom, breathed a sigh of relief, and looked around. Everyone was staring at her in a daze. Only Lianyi was covering her face and crying. She laughed and shrugged: "Now, I'm penniless again."

The audience remained silent for a long time. Then, Steward Yuan of Lianfang City bowed slightly to her and said with a smile, "Miss is indeed a chivalrous person, which makes me feel ashamed. Miss, rest assured, from this moment on, Lianfang City will naturally protect your safety. If anyone dares to lay a finger on you, they will have to ask Lianfang City for permission first. Whether it is Tiansha Shifang or Buguishan."

People were already shouting "Mount No Return!" and rushed up to surround them. Xiaoman hadn't expected the crowd to surge forward so suddenly. She was thrown off balance and almost fell. Lianyi quickly caught her and hugged her tightly. She was crying desperately, crying and crying, her tears soaking Xiaoman's collar.

Xiao Man smiled and patted her head: "Why are you crying, silly girl? Isn't this much easier? We won the bet."

Lianyi choked back tears, "Master, I'm so sorry... Actually, I didn't really want to be your guard... Yelü Wenjue is my... my father... He arranged for me to be by your side, to find the right opportunity to seize the Five Corners..." Xiaoman was shocked: "What did you say?!"